For a third year Witton Gilbert isn’t getting the grass cutting it should. Other areas have now had two cuts, whilst once again the village is ignored by the Labour run council. Their excuse is that the agency staff were not in place on time. Three years on a row this has happened despite all the pressure last year. It is unacceptable and an indication that the new huge council is still not running as one. Over in Derwentside and Chester-le-Street the grass cutting is clearly better. Parts of Durham City resemble a ploughed field at the moment (Pity Me for one), so how Witton will look when they finally get round to it is anyone’s guess.

I have been given a promise by the service director that the grass will be cut on Monday and by staff that where necessary the cuttings removed – will see on Tuesday if this has happened. Oh for the old days when the City Council did the job. It might not have been perfect, but it was a damn site better than this.